Find a supervisor
Faculty directory · Free to use
Find a PhD supervisor in India and abroad
Search 29,000 faculty members at 226 institutes in 11 countries by name, research area, department or location. Shortlist the people whose work excites you, then reach out with confidence.
Popular:
- Faculty members
- 29,000
- Institutes
- 226
- States & UTs
- 36
- Departments
- 1,831
Start with a research area, a name or an institute
Combine words to narrow things down, for example or .
Research record
Leading supervisors by research field
Compare supervisors who share a main research field, one measure at a time. Based on published research papers from 2023–2025 that list the supervisor with their institute; at least 5 papers in that period are needed to be ranked.
There is no combined score: each measure describes one side of a publishing record, not teaching or mentoring. Figures can be incomplete, and a name can occasionally be linked to the wrong person, so please report an error if you spot one.
How it works
From search to first email in three steps
Built for prospective PhD students and early-career researchers looking for the right person to work with.
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Search by what you want to study
Type a research area, a professor’s name, a department or an institute. Partial words work, so “photon” also finds photonics.
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Shortlist and read their work
Open a profile to see the department, research areas and a link to the faculty page. Read two or three recent papers before you get in touch.
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Reach out with a focused email
Write a short, specific note: who you are, what you read, and the question you would like to work on together.
Browse
Explore faculty by state and institute
Pick a state or one of the largest institutes to see everyone listed there.
Largest institutes in the directory
Advice
How to email a potential PhD supervisor
A good first email is short, specific and easy to answer. These habits make a real difference to the replies you get.
Keep it short and specific
Aim for 150–250 words with a clear subject line, such as “Prospective PhD student: topological photonics”.
Show you have read their work
Mention one recent paper and what caught your interest. Generic praise is easy to spot.
Explain your fit
Summarise your background, the skills you would bring and one question you would like to explore. Attach a one- or two-page CV.
Ask about the admission route
Most Indian institutes admit PhD students through a formal call, often linked to fellowships such as CSIR-UGC NET, GATE or INSPIRE. Ask whether they are taking students and which call to apply through, and follow up once if you hear nothing in two weeks.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is Find a Supervisor free to use?
Yes. Searching the directory and opening profiles is free.
What can I search by?
Names, designations, departments, institutes, cities, states, countries and research areas. Every word you type must match, so “IIT Delhi physics” narrows the list rather than widening it.
Why can’t I list everyone at once?
Results appear for a search or a filter, a page at a time. That keeps the directory fast and protects it from bulk copying.
Do I still need to apply formally?
Usually, yes. Even when a faculty member agrees to supervise you, admission normally goes through the institute’s PhD call and selection process.
Where do the research figures come from?
They are calculated from published research papers that list the supervisor with their institute, over three complete years, leaving out preprints and papers with 100 or more authors. Badges such as “Top 10%” compare supervisors in this directory who share a main field, by papers a year, citation impact or share of highly cited papers. The figures describe publishing only, not teaching or mentoring, so use them alongside the supervisor’s own page, their recent papers and a conversation with their group.
A profile is wrong or missing. How do I fix it?
Please contact us with the correct details and a link to the official faculty page, so the profile can be updated.
Looking for a funded position?
New PhD positions, JRF posts and postdocs are added every week.